Shopping Blog - Pocket Change from Become.com » Nintendo Wii

$20 off the Nintendo Wii

John — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:53 +0000

With the shopping season coming up, it’s time stretch your money more than ever when you’re out purchasing those holidays gifts. For a wide selection of the latest electronics and gadgets, Dell Deals is the #1 source you need for a variety of savings. Be sure to bookmark the Dell Deals page to take advantage of daily coupon codes on desktops, laptops, and other electronics accessories.

On Tuesday, November 3, Dell Deals gives you the opportunity to get $20 off of a brand new Nintendo Wii. At a price of $179 after savings, it’s difficult to go wrong with this deal. The Nintendo Wii is the ultimate entertainment console for all ages to enjoy. The great part about the Nintendo Wii is that the gaming experience is completely different from traditional gaming consoles. Players become fully immersed into the game and move their bodies and joints accordingly. Best of all, its slim design and compact size prevents it from taking up a significant amount of space. This is an extremely ideal feature for college students who live in cramped living conditions who are looking for an inexpensive way to have fun with friends. Whether you use it to get in shape or procrastinate from work, the Nintendo Wii is a great gaming console for a nice competitive thrill.

-John

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Day 2: E3 Free Day

Linda — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:30:31 +0000

E3 Free Day: Do you love playing video games? Do you love discussing video games? Do you love video-game related SWAG? Do you enjoy attractive women advertising video games? Then E3 is absolutely the place for you. Square Enix gave all its exhibitors a day off, which might be considered a disadvantage for the ones who needed the money.

As a reminder, E3 is a trade event and thus, only people connected to the video game industry are allowed to attend. The other requirement to get into E3 is you have to be at least 18 years of age. It costs $500 for a 3-day attendee pass. Realizing that my exhibitor badge is worth $500, it would be folly to not spend my free day exploring what E3 has to offer. On the morning of June 3, I set off on a grand adventure to satiate my thirst for upcoming video game knowledge.

As I reminisce about my free day, I realize that the amount of sights and information that I was exposed to was too much for me to memorize. My first impression of the booths was that each booth was largely unique. The booths were clean, well kept, and sometimes even extravagant. For instance, the E3 booth had carpet, along with a mini-stage, where developers could talk about upcoming games. The white theme permeated the entire Wii booth; everything was bright white that it seemed redundant to use lights since it was bright enough as it is. The Activision booth appeared to be a night club with its dark atmosphere and the music, from their DJ Hero game, constantly playing. The areas that were used for the media interviews were much more lavish; there was a wide variety of furniture, which very well could have been from Ikea, strewn about to make the guests comfortable. Overall, these video game companies spent much of their time creating their booths to look highly attractive and appealing. If the Square Enix booth was a woman, I would have a huge crush on her and shower her with flowers.

In many ways, E3 was like an amusement park. Instead of waiting in line for a roller coaster, you waited to play a demo. I was content with wandering like a vagrant and watching others play. I was glad that there is an 18+ years requirement to get into E3, because nearly everyone was polite and professional about how they played the demos. Not once did I hear a tirade of curses due to a loss. Everyone had the common courtesy to stop playing the demo when they completed it or died. The list of all the E3 playable demos numbers over 100 so I won’t bother to list them. If you heard about a game that is slated to come out later in this year or even in 2010, it was most likely shown as a preview or available as a playable demo at E3.

I had the honor of waiting in line to view some of the upcoming game. For instance, after waiting several minutes, I was ushered into a very fashionable looking room that looks like one of those private night club lounge rooms that you see in the movies. I situated myself in the center of the room to be entertained to a very crisp Warhammer: The Space Marine trailer. The surround sound was magnificent. The gameplay reminded me of Dynasty Warriors except much more grim dark. The developers then had a Q&A session, but I didn’t have any questions since I was still awestruck by the amount effort and work that these companies put in to showcase their upcoming products. I also had the chance to sit in on the Marvel Ultimate Alliance 2 and view the various new options added into that game. At first glance, it looks like it plays and looks exactly like X-Men Legends (don’t get me started on that game).

Apparently, they added new fusion attacks that combine the powers of two super heroes to deal devastating damage to enemies as well as the environment. Not only that but you can upgrade your super heroes without having to go into the convoluted menu screen, thus making the action nonstop. Just these features are a huge improvement over the gameplay seen in the X-Men Legend games. I stopped by the G4 booth to be part of the background crowd and cheer during their filming times. It was pretty cool to see Adam Sessler, Morgan Webb, and Olivia Munn in person. If you don’t know who they are, be sure to catch X-Play on G4 TV.

I could go on and with my E3 fanboy rant, but I personally believe it’s better if you experience it yourself. The tale I have told is only an iota of the actual E3 experience. If you’re a gamer, there is something for everyone. All genres of demos and previews are shown at E3. There are booths which showcase new and upcoming console gadgets. There are booths showcasing upgrades that you can purchase for your computer. There are booths for people who want to be distributors of video games.

Is it worth it to spend $500 to attend E3? I would ecstatically reply “Yes!!!” Once again, if playing video games is one of your hobbies, I highly suggest going to E3 at least once in your life.

Day 3 wrap up to come later!

Guest Blogger: Mark Casino (LA RPG Examiner)

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Talking Like A Pirate

Will — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:49:07 +0000

Become.com Celebrates Pirate Day!

A while back, like many others around the world, I talked like a pirate. On Thursday, a coworker informed me that tomorrow, September 19th, was International Talk Like A Pirate Day. I had almost forgotten! (Last year the day passed me by, to my eternal regret). After thanking her profusely, I secured a promise from her that we would both participate on Friday. To get into the spirit of things, I picked up a bandana to wear on my head that night. (I wanted to get an eye patch as well, but I couldn’t find one). When I get there the next morning, everyone stared at me like I was crazy, which is perfectly understandable, especially since I was now saying things like “Yarr, ye scurvy sea dogs, how be the good website Become doing on electronics categories?” But no one else joined me, not even the friend who had promised me she would.

But I stuck with it, when giving my weekly report to my boss, when ordering from the waiter at lunch (got the calamari), and even when Joe the ‘tern tried to get me to break character by calling me on the phone and offering me a free Nintendo Wii. Why, you ask, would I persevere? Because if Blackbeard never quit, I wouldn’t either, that’s why.
But I did learn one lesson: If you are going to dress up, like many of you probably are for Halloween, make sure you
A) Get your Halloween costume ahead of time, so you can plan out everything in detail.
B) Make your friends order theirs as well, and make SURE they are wearing them before you go to work!

Avast me Hearties,

Mad Billy

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5 Ways to Relive Your Childhood

kris — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 20:22:11 +0000

There is one thing that all of us in the 20-30 years old range have in common: we have never really grown up. Whether it’s classic cartoons, video games, or our pristinely painted collection of Warhammer figurines, there is something in our lives that our elders scoff at as childish. Clearly they just don’t understand. However, we can’t live our childhoods forever, and there comes a time when we need to head out into the scary real world and act all adult like. Well now, thanks to the magic of the internet, we can buy back our childhoods at great prices.

Here are 5 awesome ways to relive the glory days:

5) Video Games
Video Games are awesome, and we all know it. There is one particular system that now lets us relive our epic childhood adventures, and that’s the Nintendo Wii. The Wii has gotten some criticism that it really doesn’t have the greatest selection of games, and while this may be true, it does have some of the best classic games out there. If you’re looking to capture some memories, why not go back and battle Bowser’s minion’s again in the original Super Mario Brothers? Or best the evil Dr. Robotnik in Sonic the Hedgehog?

4) Old Cartoon Shows
We all have fond memories of sitting in front of the TV on Saturday morning watching our favorite cartoon shows. Who didn’t love the original X-men series, Captain Planet, Ren and Stimpy, Doug, or Rocko’s Modern Life? Consider picking up the DVD sets of these shows and kicking back over some Cinnamon Toast Crunch for a marathon of classic goodness. You can even find some of the more amusingly bad cartoons like The Legend of Zelda Animated Series, or the Mario Brothers Super Show.

3) Pogs, Magic Cards, Dungeons and Dragons, or Other Collectibles
No matter how cool we currently think we are, we all had a hobby that could be defined as incredibly geeky. Remember how cool you thought you were with that giant metal slammer and the collection of 10,000 Pogs (including that full set of rare holographic Ninja Turtle Pogs). How about your unbeatable deck of Magic the Gathering cards, or your level 9 thief and collection of dungeon master books? It may be time to dust those off and gather the old friends together for some good old fashion fun.

2) Nerf Weaponry
If your adult life has lead you to the tiny cage they call a cubicle, then you may want to consider arming your private corporate castle with some of top of the line weaponry. While flamethrowers and spear guns would certainly keep Frank from accounting at bay it probably wouldn’t be the best for your future employment. This is another area where memories of childhood fun can help out again. The science of Nerf weaponry has improved over the years, and while the classic crossbow still exists in some form you may want to consider upgrading to something with a bit more…kick.

1) Classic TV show t-shirts
Remember how much you wanted to be on Legends of the Hidden Temple? Your longing to spend the summer at Camp Onawana? Or the long hours of training to be on Guts? Well unfortunately you’re not cool enough to be on any of those shows, but that shouldn’t stop you from pretending you were. Past Blastin’ Shirts lets you do with money what were never able to do with talent, kind of like college

Kris

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Xbox 360 Wiimote???

Brent — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 18:32:51 +0000

It seems as if 8bitjoystick has indeed confirmed the development of a Microsoft Wii-like remote for the Xbox 360, after MTV News initially broke the news. The picture above is a mock up of what the controller could look like. It’s said that Microsoft’s new controller has been in development since last summer and could hit the market by the end of this year. The new remote, which will be shaped very much like the original Wii controller, will feature a microphone, four face buttons, and an analog stick, based on the last reported prototype. The hope for Microsoft is to not focus solely on the prototypical “Wii Sports” games, but to also incorporate it with the popular Xbox games such as Halo & Gears of War. It has also been mentioned that Microsoft is developing an avatar system for Xbox Live, much like the one on the Nintendo Wii. Learn more about the rumored Xbox Wiimote here.

Brent

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Super Smash Brothers Brawl

kris — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:49:25 +0000

First of all, happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!

It’s finally here! The planets have aligned and brought us peace and harmony on earth. Okay, well maybe I’m being a bit too dramatic, but my joy for the arrival of Super Smash Brothers Brawl is hard to contain. It really is everything we’ve all been waiting for. For the uncultured of you out there, Smash is a game (perhaps THE game) where players can take their favorite cute and fluffy Nintendo characters and beat the living snot out of each other for fun and profit. It has been heralded as one of the best tournament games ever made, and between its three incarnations it has most likely sucked away a large portion of many gamer’s lives.

The real question on everyone’s minds is how does Brawl stack up to Melee. The answer sort of depends on the player. The first question I must ask is, “Do you know what a wave dash is, and how often did you use it?” The second is “Are you comfortable learning new things?” Brawl changes the game quite a bit. The glitch known as Wave Dashing (a complicated series of moves that sent the player sliding wildly across the stage allowing them to avoid the cool down time on most abilities) is a thing of the past. The new characters (including names such as Wario, King Dedede, Solid Snake, and Sonic the Hedgehog) have styles of play very different from Melee. Even some of the classic characters have had their game changed quite a bit, some becoming far less effective while others becoming minor gods (all glory to our overlord Marth).

The real kick in the pants for this game is the online play. For those of us with friends spread all over the country, the idea of online play was a wonderful addition. So far the actual experience of this has been broken and frustrating. Games (if you can find one) take a very long time to actually begin, and often are hindered by sever lag. This is without mentioning the shockingly foolish friend codes which just seem to be punishing us for the crime of having friends. Why Nintendo can’t get their act together in the online gaming market is beyond me, but it really hurts the overall enjoyment of Smash.

The bottom line is that, despite the online problems (which in reality will probably be fixed), this is the game that will reside in that shiny blue glowing slot in your Wii for some time. There is nothing that will come out in the next year that can top this one. So go dig up your old Gamecube controllers (or pick up some classic controllers) and pick this title up for some 4 player havoc and a general good time.

Oh, and my friend code is: 0817 3444 0313

Feel free to leave yours in comments for so me Pocket Change smash action.

Kris

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Super Paper Mario Review

kris — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 21:03:37 +0000

The first video game that I (and many others) ever played was the original Super Mario Brothers. I remember the days of watching my neighbor play, but being too scared to actually pick up the controller myself. When I finally did work up the nerve take control of the Italian hero I was hooked forever. Since that time I have become far more mature in my gaming needs. Now I find myself always looking for more sophisticated role playing games with things like “deep storyline” and “meaningful character development”. You could imagine my joy when I first heard that the new Paper Mario game was going to attempt to recapture the glory of the original Super Mario Brothers games, but with RPG flair. In fact, I believe that my initial reaction to the seeing game play video was something akin to, “holy 2d side scrolling action Batman.” Unlike a few other games that I’ve been excited about for the Wii, this one actually came out paid off.

The game starts out somewhat slow. In typical RPG fashion, the storyline must set itself up before the player can take control. Thankfully, the entire setup is nothing short of hilarious. Mario and Luigi are bored. They’ve saved Mushroom Kingdom, and now they are stuck just sitting around not having anything to save. They decide to go to Mushroom Castle and visit peach. Just as they are leaving, Toad shows up and tells them that the Princess has been kidnapped and that they must go save her. So far it isn’t much different than any other Mario game. When Mario arrives at the castle he finds that Bowser is there setting up for a massive attack. Unfortunately for him, it turns out that the Princess has already been kidnapped. This is where we meet the villain of the game, Count Bleck. Count Bleck shows up and admits to stealing the princess, and decides to steal everyone else while he is at it. He leaves Mario all alone in Mushroom Kingdom, and takes off to another dimension. Mario then gets some help from a PIXL, and starts his epic quest to save Mushroom Kingdom.

Once you take control of the game, you begin to realize how much fun you are going to have playing it. The game is controlled by turning the Wiimote sideways as you would in a virtual console NES game. It controls nearly exactly like Super Mario Brothers on Virtual console, but with a few twists. First, by hitting the A button you switch into a 3D mode that is used for puzzle solving and finding hidden treasure. But pointing the Wiimote at the screen you activate one of your PIXLs that will identify creatures, find doors, find chests, and just be a general help to you along the way. The motion sensing controls of the Wiimote are used for everything from shaking yourself out of sleep effects to doing a series of motions required to use items or abilities. As simple as the control scheme is, it is really one of the best implementations of the Wiimote I have seen in any game to date.

Combine the quirky storyline, fun boss fights, and great controls and you get a game that really does satisfy the traditional gamer and RPG fan alike. It may be a sight bit easy for those who are looking for an RPG with the depth of a Final Fantasy game, but one cannot go into these types of games with those expectations. If you own a Wii and are looking for a very solid game to pick up, then I highly suggest giving Super Paper Mario a try.

Here is a video of one of the more enjoyable boss fights (slight spoiler warning):

Kris

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